


The Boar Prince Bride

by NayruSol42



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Background casphardt, Can Y'all Tell I Love Ferdinand von Aegir, Dimidue Big Bang 2021, Dimitri and Dedue dreaming of their future together Makes Me Soft, I'm sorry Edelgard I love you but you and Hubert were the perfect villains for this, M/M, Seteth Won't Let Felix Curse, Temporary Character Death, The Princess Bride AU, Villain Edelgard von Hresvelg, very brief angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29482701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NayruSol42/pseuds/NayruSol42
Summary: Prince Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus' life has been riddled with tragedies he could never understand, so when he meets one Dedue Molinaro, a man who deeply understands his pain, and who would one day would grow to love him and be loved in return, Dimitri hoped his misfortune would finally be over. But Dimitri's life, as per usual, is anything but easy. This is the tale of an abduction, a rescue, an escape, and a Prince groom.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15
Collections: Dimidue Big Bang 2021





	The Boar Prince Bride

**Author's Note:**

> This is my piece for Dimidue Big Bang 2021!! Thank you so much to Marshal for creating amazing art to go with the fic, it was great working with you!! :D Also shout out to Nils for listening to me panic over this and helping me with the title, I loved it XD

“Oh dear, that is most certainly a fever.” 

The little girl sighed, furrowing her brow over the dull headache and shivering under the covers. Seteth combed his fingers through her fringe, moving it away from her sweaty forehead and checking the beeping thermometer again. No wonder professor Byleth had sent her home.

“Father?” She said weakly.

“Yes, dear? Would you like to rest now?”

Flayn shook her head softly. “I’m really tired but...I don’t think I'm tired enough to sleep. Could you, um…”

Seteth smiled. “Should I read you a story? You used to fall asleep so easily when I read to you.”

“I’m not a child anymore…” She pouted a bit. “But...yes, please. One of your own, if possible?”

Seteth flushed. “...Alright, there is one I haven’t shown you before, about the end of the ancient war of the three nations. Just...I warn you, it hasn’t been proofread very extensively and--”

His daughter giggled gently. “It’s okay, Father. You wrote it, I’m sure it’ll be lovely.” Flayn said with her eyes already closed. Seteth smiled, opening the most recent one of his stories and taking a deep breath.

Once upon a time, in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, there was a beautiful prince. His hair shone gold, his eyes turquoise blue, and his heart was the purest in all of Fódlan. He was the sweet prince Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, heir to the throne of Faerghus. His life was as perfect as himself, but there was so much more happening behind the shadows than he knew of. It was one fateful day in his perfect childhood that he lost both his parents in a terrible accident, one that would leave his kingdom shocked and without direction. Nothing at all related to the budding tension between Faerghus and the fearsome Adrestian Empire.

Alone, heartbroken and too young to take his place in the throne, he spent his days wandering around the castle. He explored until he knew every spot, every flower, every servant and every noble that frequented the castle. He knew all, but one. As he sneaked around the stables on a sunny day, he saw him. Tall, dark skinned, with glimmering silver hair and sadness in his eyes. From the moment he saw Dedue, he knew they both held the same pain.

And he was right. In yet another terrible accident that Dimitri could not understand, Dedue had lost his entire family in the faraway land he came from. He had escaped, if only because he had been sent to deliver a gift for the young prince. A young duscurian thoroughbred for the prince to care for and ride through his vast gardens. And ride he did, but never alone. Every time Dimitri appeared in the stables, he invited the newly hired stablehand Dedue along. Dedue, much as he objected at first, could never fully say no to the young prince. 

With time, after many long rides filled with hesitant words, soft laughs, open smiles and finally long gazes, Dimitri came to understand one more thing about Dedue. Throughout the years, whenever he would smile shyly, blushing after being invited to a horseback ride, nodded and whispered those words, he always meant much more.

He said them for him and for him alone. Whenever he said “as you wish”, he really meant to say “I love you.”

Years passed for them to fall in love, and even more for their love to blossom into the truest of affections. When they were together, they could stop thinking about the past and think of their future; they could rest from their sorrows and comfort each other through nightmares and memories. They could smile, genuinely, after a childhood of tears. And so they promised, love in their gazes, to stay by each other’s side forever. Once Dimitri was king, Dedue would be by his side. They would be each other’s family forevermore.

But fate, as it appeared, was never in Dimitri's favor. Mere days after their promise, a terrible war struck between the three nations, after so many years of subtle threats and mysterious accidents. Dimitri was not ready to become king, yet Dedue was old enough to become a soldier, to defend the kingdom of his one true love. He was left with no choice, and for once he couldn’t answer Dimitri’s pleas. They promised one last time to meet again one day, this time to never part. And just like that, Dedue left for the war.

It didn’t take long before tragedy struck once again, now in the form of a letter so cruel in its simplicity. Dedue’s battalion had run into the feared Ashen Demon, the cruel and expressionless mercenary that was often thought to be a mere legend.

Nobody who met the Ashen Demon ever lived to tell the tale.

Dimitri, with his heart shattered to pieces at the loss of the love of his life, would never be the same. He retreated into his studies, learnt combat and strategy and everything necessary to win the war. He would avenge his love, he would bring the peace Dedue had died for. He would do it all by himself, as he would never love as he loved Dedue again.

Years passed, five long years in which Dimitri’s heart withered and turned into ice and stone. Every year he grew stronger, yet his soul became weaker. He yearned to be in Dedue’s arms, cried at night thinking of his voice and his smile until there were no more tears to shed. He received news one day, from an old and loyal retainer who looked at him with a solemn gaze, that Dimitri was to be married to the Adrestian Emperor’s right hand, as a desperate last attempt to stop the war. Dimitri didn’t feel anything, couldn’t care less about the young Duke Aegir. If it could stop the war, he would do it, but he could never promise to love Aegir as he loved Dedue. 

That very night, with no more tears to shed and no will to change into night clothes, he passed out into a deep and dreamless sleep. He didn’t register the sounds of someone sneaking into the royal chambers or of steel against steel right outside his door, up until he felt himself being thrown into a gigantic sack that could barely contain his height.

“I...told you we had to bring the sword guy for this…” He heard a hushed voice grunt.

“He has a name, you know? Come on, we need to get out of here quickly.” Another voice hissed, effectively shaking away every trace of sleep and confusion from his mind.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Unhand me immediately, or else--”

“Ugh, I didn’t want to do this…” 

That was the last of the hushed voices Dimitri heard, before magic glowed around him faintly and he fell into a deep sleep.

Word about the fair prince of Faerghus’ abduction traveled far and wide, spreading like wildfire throughout the nations. Allegedly, two thieves from the Alliance had snuck into his room late at night while a third one made quick work of some of the palace guards. Allegedly indeed, for they were in fact Imperial soldiers in disguise, executing dishonorable orders in the name of the greater good, or at least the Emperor’s version of it. 

The news of the prince’s abduction reached even the most hidden of places, and of people as well. The Ashen Demon sighed, sheathing his sword and mounting his horse, already knowing where he was headed. He would find that prince at all costs.

It had been quite easy to track the thieves, once he found out more about the abduction. The path they were using was well-known amongst sellswords as the safest--for someone conducting illegal business, that is--path to the Alliance. It was fairly dangerous and difficult to pass unless you knew exactly which turns to take, which made it perfect for transporting an abducted prince. The hard part had been staying undetected by the keen eyed swordsman who rode behind them. He had managed to disguise himself as a merchant for long enough, but the swordsman was growing suspicious.

“Linhardt.”

The mage groaned, passing the reins to Caspar again to try and get some sleep.

“Yes, Felix? Something wrong?”

“I think we’re being followed.” Felix said, guiding his horse closer to the carriage and looking back. The “merchant” kept riding stoically.

“Guards?” Linhardt closed his eyes and settled into his seat.

“No, a man. He’s dressed in all black and wearing a stupid mask.”

“Doesn’t sound dangerous.”

“Yeah, I bet you can totally take him on.” Caspar said, after peeking behind the carriage at the man behind them. With all the cloth flowing around him Caspar couldn’t quite size him up, but he’d seen Felix fight. Not many could best him once he had a sword in his hands.

Felix rolled his eyes. “Go faster, I’ll stay behind you and keep an eye on him.”

Linhardt nodded and promptly drifted into sleep.

“So, how far from the kingdom did we have to get, again? I don’t think your spell will keep this guy down any longer, and he looks strong enough to break out of the carriage.” He heard those voices again, slightly farther away this time.

“Oh, shush. My spell should wear off soon, yes, but we tied him up really well. Even if he woke up, he can’t get out of those ropes easily and much less get off the carriage. We should be able to reach the meeting point easily.” 

Dimitri groaned, the voices growing clearer the more awake he felt. Suddenly, he realized his current position. He was lying on his side inside of a carriage box, his head constantly bouncing and hitting against the hardwood below. His hands were tied behind his back, as were his legs and the rest of his body. He wasn’t gagged, though, he soon realized.

“Hey! I demand you let go of me this instant!” He hollered at the two voices outside.

Linhardt, who was just trying to snooze and ignore everything else, didn’t dignify him with a response. Dimitri growled and started trying to wiggle out of his bindings, only managing to roll on his stomach and hit his forehead.

“Hey, Lin.” Caspar said, grimacing at the loud bump.

“Yes?”

“How do you think sword guy is doing back there?”

Linhardt sighed. “He’ll be all right on his own, I’m sure he can handle whoever’s following us. I would worry more about us if the prince breaks free...Which he won’t, of course.”

Caspar laughed loudly and flexed, one hand still on the reins. “What, think I can’t take him on?”

Linhardt simply raised a single eyebrow at him. Caspar slumped on his seat.

The masked man kept riding in silence, eyes fixed solely on Felix and the very indiscreet imperial soldiers. They rode on for a couple more hours of Felix constantly getting unnerved by the stoic stare, before he finally had enough and rode forward with the other two.

“Linhardt, I’m tired of this guy. He’s been trailing us for hours and--”

“I SAID, LET ME OUT--”

“SHUT UP! I’m sick of him. Ride on ahead and I’ll deal with the stupid mask guy, Ailell’s not far from here.”

Linhardt wasn’t even awake, but Caspar shot him an energetic thumbs-up with a winning smile and all. Felix wondered why he had even taken the job.

He slowed down as Caspar urged the carriage’s horses to go faster, and moved his horse to block the road before the masked man, who stopped without a word. 

“You, stupid mask guy. I’ve had it with you. I don’t know if you’re from the kingdom or just some idiot who thinks he can get in our way--”

“I’m here for the prince.”

“No kidding, you’re sure as heck not here for Caspar.” 

“Father, are you censoring your own story?” Flayn lifted an eyebrow, sipping her tea skeptically. Seteth sighed tiredly.

“This is a children’s fairytale, Flayn. I can’t pepper in whatever words my own characters see fit for impressionable children to read--”

“Father…”

Seteth sighed. “I...legally cannot swear?”

Flayn giggled sweetly and sipped her tea again. “Alright, I’ll let it pass just this time. You may continue.”

The masked man kept staring. Felix growled. “You know what, I think I need a little stress relief.” He dismounted his horse and drew his sword, tauntingly passing it over to his left hand and folding his right behind his back. “Turn around right now, or duel me and die.” 

He smirked when the masked man didn’t move, before he actually got off his horse and Felix realized he was at least a full foot taller than him. He shrugged. Height meant nothing compared to skill. The masked man drew his sword silently, looking at Felix straight in the eye. His stance wasn’t one Felix knew, but it seemed like one a mercenary would take. He wondered if maybe switching hands was a bad idea. 

“You seem strong, stranger. I bet our fight will be a good one.”

“I’m here for the prince, not to fight you.”

“Ugh. Is that the only thing you can say? I’d rather you speak with steel!” He lunged at the masked man, only to be blocked with impressive strength if slightly slow reflexes. Nothing Felix couldn’t get around. He jumped back, coming back at the masked man time and time again and getting blocked each time, as if he could predict where the next blow would come. Felix growled.

“What, all defense and no offense? Attack me!” He yelled at the silent man. Finally, the man turned around and removed his thick and billowy cloak, to reveal a loose black blouse over rippling muscles and multiple scars running through the man’s strong chest. Felix gulped, but his stance never faltered. He took a long look at the man in front of him, checked for any weakness, before frowning at his sword and sword hand.

“Anything wrong with my weapon?”

“I’ve been told the man who killed my brother has his hands tainted with dark magic.” He said simply, switching hands to fight with his right and lounging at the man as if it was mere routine to him.

The masked man frowned. “I am...sorry to hear that. Are you seeking him for revenge?”

“No, I want to thank him over a cup of tea--Of course I want revenge.” He slashed with an elegant turn and was met with a perfect block from the masked man. “My brother was just a blacksmith, he had nothing to do with any stupid war schemes. But our father HAD to be one of the most important nobles of Faerghus and the empire HAD to make an example out of his perfect son and--” He slashed with all the strength in his body and screamed in rage. The masked man merely had to side-step for Felix’ sword to get stuck on a tree.

“What--” Felix ducked out of a powerful blow and tackled the masked man, sending him to the floor just for long enough for him to rip the sword out of the tree. “I dream, every night--” He said, while advancing towards the retreating man and lifting his sword. “--of finding the wretched empire worm that took my brother’s life--” He slashed at the man, his sword clanging against the other’s. “--looking him in the eye, and saying…”

The masked man finally stood, raising his sword just enough to block the blows punctuating each word the mercenary said.

“I, am Felix Hugo Fraldarius. You killed my brother, prepare to DIE!” In the last blow, the masked man managed to dodge again and hit Felix on the back of his head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him unconscious immediately. He was lucky his teacher had taught him that technique.

He caught Felix before he fell and laid him down slowly. “I wish you luck, mercenary.” He simply said, before turning around and mounting his horse again.

“Uhhhh Lin?”

“No Caspar, we’re not there yet.” Linhardt said without opening his eyes. Caspar looked back again.

“No, uh...It’s the mask guy again.”

“What?!” The mage looked back too, to see the masked man riding behind them, stoic as ever. 

Caspar looked at him worriedly. “And Felix is not there! Lin, he beat Felix, what do we do?” He whispered with urgency, alternating between watching the road and the masked man.

Linhardt groaned. “Stop the carriage.”

“What?!”

“I have a plan. This guy won’t stop following us until either of us knock him out, and he’s getting closer. Better we face him head on than getting thrown off the carriage from the back, right?”

“I...guess?”

“We know he’s even better at sword fighting than Felix, but is he stronger than you or smarter than me?” 

Caspar frowned and stopped the carriage slowly. “This feels like a bad idea.”

“Oh, hush.”

Linhardt climbed off the carriage and looked at the masked man as he dismounted his horse. Much taller than Caspar and him, yes, much wider too. His gaze was pretty terrifying as well. Yikes.

“Need anything, traveler?” Linhardt said, leaning against the carriage boredly.

“Traveler? HELP! I’M BEING KIDNAPPED! I AM PRINCE DIMITRI--”

“Gah, shut up! Alright, we have the prince. We can’t just let you take him though.” He said, sighing tiredly. Edelgard had better let them rest after this mission.

Caspar hopped off the carriage too, full of confidence right until he noticed the masked man’s height. “uhhh--Y-yeah! If you wanna get the prince you gotta get through me!” He said, taking a few steps forward.

The masked man simply nodded and moved to take off his cloak again. 

“Hey, hey Linny.” Caspar whispered at him.

“What?”

“You’re definitely smarter than him, right?” 

Linhardt only sighed. Caspar got into a fighting stance.

“Very well, I will fight without a weapon as well.” The masked man said calmly, removing his hand from the hilt of his sword and getting into a similar stance. In a second, Caspar had already lunged at him with a battle cry and tackled him right on the chest, only to be easily pushed back. The masked man had barely moved.

“Uhhh Lin?” He said urgently. 

“Come on Cas, you can do this! Go for the knees!” Linhardt cheered from behind.

Caspar nodded and threw a punch at the stomach while blocking another one from the side, sweeping down with a kick to the knees. The masked man bucked forward only slightly, and Caspar took the opening to punch him in the jaw.

“Yes! Just like that, Caspar!” Linhardt cheered again.

The masked man turned towards Caspar slowly, towering over him and easily kicking him in the ribs with enough force to send him flying to Linhardt’s feet. Caspar groaned as Linhardt hurried to him, but Caspar stood up again. 

“What, is that all you got?” Caspar said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Linhardt hesitated to step back again, until Caspar shot him a gentle but barely reassuring smile. 

“It would be wise to stand back and give me the prince now.” The masked man said calmly. Caspar laughed.

“You wish!” He yelled, lunging at him again and punching at his chest, his fist easily grabbed by the masked man. He kicked with the opposite leg and it was grabbed again. “Lin--!”

Before Caspar could finish the sentence, the masked man headbutted him and swiftly knocked him out.

“CASPAR!” Linhardt rushed to them, faith magic glowing in his hands. The masked man caught Caspar and set him down as he did with Felix, stepping back to let Linhardt check him over.

“He is merely unconscious. Once you are done healing him, I believe it is your turn to fight me.”

Linhardt sighed as he healed Caspar’s bruises. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. He’s fine. I’m a mage though, so if you really want to fight me, this whole field, the carriage and the prince will probably get burned.” Linhardt lied through his teeth, knowing full well he could fight without using fire magic. “You’ll have to beat me in a battle of wits.” He finally said, standing up. The masked man nodded calmly.

“I have just the challenge.”

Within minutes, they had already placed a small plank of wood from the carriage over an unconscious Caspar, in lack of a better table. There were two goblets full of wine from Caspar and Linhardt’s provisions balancing on it, and Linhardt turned around and walked a few paces back as instructed by the masked man.

“In one of these glasses, I will add morfis plum leaf powder, that as you know--”  
  
“Will make whoever drinks it fall asleep immediately, yes. That plant is a blessing.” Linhardt said, yawning while looking over the carriage.

“You may return now.” The masked man said, sitting perfectly straight behind Caspar and the wine goblets. Linhardt sat before them cautiously. “You may choose one of these goblets for yourself, I will drink from the other in unison. I will be able to notice if you wait until I drink and, as you can see, I easily knocked out this man with my bare hands.” The masked man said, gesturing at Caspar. Linhardt grimaced. “I can give you my word that I will drink from the goblet, if nothing else.”

Linhardt frowned, looking at both goblets with a sigh. One of the goblets was placed in front of him, and the other in front of the masked man.

“Well, the obvious choice would be to place the goblet you wish to drink from, in this case the one without morfis plum leaf powder, the farthest from you. Although, you do know I’m fairly smart, so you might want to place it right in front of you so I would go with the wrong idea.”

The masked man simply stared, no reaction at all. Linhardt groaned.

“Then again, maybe you would know I would figure that out and place them in the obvious way, but you would know I would figure that out as well and placed them the other way around, and as such the spiked goblet must definitely be the one in front of me.”

He looked up, no reaction.

“Although--!”

“WILL YOU JUST CHOOSE A GOBLET ALREADY!” Prince Dimitri hollered from inside the carriage. 

“I’M TRYING TO!” Linhardt yelled back, hurriedly pointing at each goblet as he spoke. “So it’s either the obvious or not the obvious or the obvious again but as a trick but perhaps it’s not the obvious or--”

“LET ME OUT AND I’LL CHOOSE IT MYSELF!”

“OH, FOR THE LOVE OF--! It’s a fifty fifty, just--” He grabbed the goblet right in front of him and took a swig as soon as he saw the masked man do the same. Linhardt blinked. “Oh, I...feel all right. Hah! I should never underestimate the value of…” he yawned. “Of...blind luck...Cas, I think I’m gonna take a nap now…” He said, right before passing out on top of Caspar. The masked man swiftly removed the wooden plank and caught the wine goblet in time before it spilt over both. 

“What you did not know, smart mage.” The masked man said mostly to himself as he fiddled with the lock in the carriage doors. “Is that both goblets were spiked. I spent a long time in Morfis developing an immunity to morfis plum leaf powder, as it is the most commonly used non lethal poison in Fódlan. It is not the only poison I am immune to, of course--And there.” He finally said as the lock clicked open, letting the chains drop to the ground and opening the carriage doors wide. Inside was the prince, yes, but a very different one from the one at the beginning of the story. His eyes--his eye, he noticed with a frown--was a fiery and wild turquoise, his golden hair longer, disheveled after days of being kidnapped, his expression nothing short of enraged.

“Is this a rescue, or another abduction?” He said quietly, glaring at the masked man from inside the carriage.

“That depends.” The masked man said, reaching forward to untie the ropes around the prince.

“On what, pray tell?”

“On if you want to come with me or not.” He said, letting one set of ropes fall from the prince’s body. The prince lunged with a snarl.

“Who are you and what do you want?” The masked man effortlessly turned him around to work on the bindings around his ankles, following with his wrists.

“I am here to take you back to Fhirdiad, and, if you must know, I am known as the Ashen Demon.”

Dimitri’s breath hitched in his throat, as his whole body froze up. The Ashen Demon, the merciless and blank-faced mercenary.

The man who killed Dedue.

The second the bindings around his wrists dropped, he threw himself at the masked man with all his strength. They tumbled off the carriage and onto the grass beside the road. Dimitri held onto the man’s collar with white hot rage.

“It’s you. You’re the bastard who murdered Dedue. You took my soulmate from me, the only man I’ve ever loved.” He hissed, mere inches away from his face. The masked man’s eyes widened but a fraction. Dimitri stood up, towering over the masked man, turquoise eye gleaming with rage. “For that, you shall die!” He finally hollered, before kicking the man on his chest and sending him rolling down the hill. Dimitri was one just about to turn around and take the carriage for himself, before he heard those familiar words.

“As...you...wish!” The masked man--Dedue yelled as he tumbled down the hill, bandana around his head falling to reveal the silver hair Dimitri so fondly remembered, glittering beautifully as Dedue fell further down. Dimitri gasped.

“What--Dedue?! How--Why would you not say something sooner?!” He said in panic, before throwing himself down the hill as well.

Quite a distance away, on another hill overlooking the Valley of Torment, Ferdinand von Aegir frowned while looking through his spyglass. 

“Oh, this is just perfect. I look away for a second and both the prince and the masked fellow have disappeared entirely, not to mention Caspar and Linhardt are still unconscious, and the swordsman is nowhere to be seen! None of this would have happened had we been on time for the rendezvous.” He lamented, handing Hubert von Vestra beside him the spyglass. Hubert looked through it calmly.

“This will not be a problem.” Hubert said, handing the tool back to Ferdinand.

“Not--Hubert, in case you’ve forgotten, that is _the prince of Faerghus_! Edelgard will have our heads if she knows we’ve misplaced him--”

“ _Her Majesty_ will do no such thing, since we have not misplaced him yet. We know that he and the mercenary must now cross the Valley of Torment by foot. No matter how strong either of them are, it is a fool’s errand at best.” He said, smiling darkly at the field between them. “We need only wait here and see if they come out of it alive. If they don’t, we can simply say to the masses that the _ruthless alliance thieves_ who kidnapped the prince decided to kill him after one of his little...outbursts. If they survive, well...I assume the wedding will be on.”

Ferdinand sighed, trying not to let his gaze linger. “...Of course.”

After at least a full minute of rolling, Dimitri finally laid sprawled on the grass at the foot of the hill. His head spun wildly, before he remembered just why he’d thrown himself off a hill in the first place. 

“Dedue!” 

Currently, the once-masked man was not doing much better. He was face-down on the grass, bandana and mask gone in the fall, unmoving. Dimitri turned him around swiftly with strength Dedue hadn’t ever felt, and gasped at his face. Pale scars now crossed his face, alongside long strands of silver hair contrasting beautifully with his dark skin. The last five years had clearly been hard on Dedue, but, to Dimitri, after so long, he looked more beautiful than ever before.

Dedue grunted, pale eyes blinking open at the prince currently leaning over his chest. He blinked again, took a deep breath, and crushed him to his chest.

“Your highness, I…”

“Dedue, I...I thought I would never see you again. Why did you leave me?” Dimitri pulled back to look at his long-lost love. Dedue gazed at him sadly and cupped his cheek.

“Your high--...Dimitri. I would have never left you if I’d had the chance. I promised to return to you, and I would never dare to break that promise.” He said, smiling gently at the prince. Dimitri smiled breathlessly at his long-lost soulmate.

“So, about the Ashen Demon…”

Dedue ran his fingers through Dimitri’s long hair. “She was quite agreeable once I told her about you. She decided, after seeing me resist so much and never give up on returning to your side, that she would make me her successor.”

“What?”

“That is how I responded as well. After some years of training she declared me the new Ashen Demon, and retired to live alongside her wife. She wished me luck on returning to my prince.” He said with a smile, remembering his unusually quiet teacher.

“Your prince…”

“Although…” Dedue sighed, his hand stilling. “You are not _my_ prince anymore, are you?”

Dimitri's eyes widened in a flash. “What?! Dedue, I…” He protested, before remembering their current predicament. “Maybe...by law, I soon will not. But I am always your prince in heart, Dedue, and now that you have returned to me, I cannot simply let myself be married to another man!” He stood up, fixing his clothing and picking up Dedue’s knives and vials that had fallen to the ground. 

“Dimitri, what....”

“Come now Dedue, up! We must return to Fhirdiad and think of another strategy to stop the war. I have neglected my duties for far too long, it’s time for me to take the crown and bring peace to Fódlan, and…” He helped Dedue stand and held his hand warmly. “Once everything is over, perhaps...we could be together? As kings?”

Dedue smiled, moving to kneel but instead lifting Dimitri’s hand to his lips. “As kings, as men. I would love nothing more.”

“As equals, my love.”

“As you wish.”

The Valley of Torment stretched out before the pair, smoke and ever-burning fire surrounded black porous rock and the occasional pit of languid lava that made the very air quiver over it. Dimitri took a deep breath, relishing on the fresh air still around him, before Dedue held his hand and walked into Ailell. Immediately Dimitri could feel himself sweating at the unbearable heat, his prince garb far too suffocating and his long hair sticking to his neck. He grabbed at the flowing cape behind him and gathered it in his arms, in fear it might catch fire.

Dedue, dressed completely in black under the scorching sun, was not faring any better. Still, seeing his love desperately try to comb back his hair, he reached back to remove his own ribbon and gently tied Dimitri’s hair back. Dimitri could only smile and reach for his hand again, infernal heat be damned.

They walked for a few minutes with long pauses to catch their breath, but not too long, as the rocks under their feet grew hotter the further they walked into the valley. Soon enough, Dedue held his arm out to stop Dimitri on his tracks. 

“We need to find another path.”

“What? This is the fastest path, I doubt we can afford to spend more time wandering--”

Before Dimitri could finish, they heard a sharp hiss like smoke rushing out between the rocks. Dedue raised his sword, just in time for a gigantic rat with flame-seared black fur lunged at them. He blocked the lunge easily, but didn’t count on another rat attacking Dimitri from the side.

“Dimitri!” He didn’t hesitate on throwing himself between the rat and his prince, and the rat sunk its teeth on his right arm. Something snapped inside Dimitri and, in a second, he had torn the rat from Dedue’s arm and thrown it into the smoke, before taking Dedue’s sword and moving to dispose of the other, to see it scurry away in terror. He turned to Dedue, seeing the gash on his black blouse and the deep red wound on his arm, leaking no blood at all.

“It...cauterized immediately, your highness. It hurts, but I am alright.” He said tensely, holding his arm with his opposite hand. Dimitri reached forward to sheathe Dedue’s sword before throwing himself at his chest, gripping his back with just enough strength to worry Dedue.

“Dedue, do not...do not ever risk your life for me again, understood? I will not lose you twice. Together until the end, remember?”

Dedue smiled at the prince, kissing his golden hair. “You know my answer already, my love.”

They walked for what felt like hours through the Valley of Torment. Dimitri gripped Dedue’s sword in his hand, looking all around for signs of any more fire rats or weak, safe looking stones that would sink into thick lava, or anything that could lay even a scratch on Dedue. The Ashen Demon behind him held onto Dimitri’s now tattered robe, pressing a hand to his wounded arm. Dimitri, after pushing through a column of smoke, finally smiled at the cooling rocks and scattered patches of grass in the path ahead, nestled between two hills. He all but dragged Dedue out of the scorching heat of Ailell at the sight.

“We...we’re finally out of that blasted heat.” Dimitri panted for a second, before turning his attention to Dedue’s cauterized wound.

“I’m fine, your Highness. We must keep going until we reach the capital, lest--”

“Lest we find you here, and make your efforts to kidnap my groom go to waste, fiend!”

Dimitri heard the distinct sound of hooves behind the hill, before a man with flowing, radiant orange hair and aristocratic robes emerged, gently guiding a beautiful white steed. At least a dozen soldiers and a man clothed in black followed. The soldiers immediately pointed lances at Dedue, while Dimitri stepped front and raised his sword.

“Ah, you must be Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. It is an honor to finally meet you, my prince.” The man dismounted in a single elegant motion, bowing deeply before Dimitri uncaring of the sword pointed at him. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Prime Minister of Adrestia, Ferdinand von Aegir. We are meant to marry in a few days, as you well know. Now step aside and let me rescue you from this mercenary!” 

Dimitri stared at the beautiful man for a second, before lowering his sword and steeling his gaze. “Yes--I am aware of our engagement. But, Prime Minister von Aegir, this man is not a threat. Dedue was a stablehand in Fhirdiad Castle, he rescued me from an abduction. He is now my...appointed bodyguard, and will assist my return to the capital.”

“Oh dearest, I believe there’s been a misunderstanding.” The Prime Minister looked at him with pity.

“Excuse me?” 

“This man--He is the Ashen Demon, we received reports that the carriage and soldiers we sent were attacked by a ruthless mercenary. Those soldiers were in fact the Ministers of Military and Domestic Affairs, sent personally by Her Majesty to escort you to Adrestia to begin the wedding preparations. As you can see, we cannot let an attack on such important figures of the empire go unpunished.” He said with a calm, but blank stare. To Dedue he sounded as if he were merely reciting the words, but not to Dimitri.

“To escort--Sir, with all due respect, throwing me in a sack at midnight and locking me in a carriage on its way to…”

“To the Alliance.” Dedue supplied.

“--to the Alliance doesn’t exactly sound like an escort. They were indeed your imperial soldiers and a mercenary from Faerghus. Dedue here rescued me from the abduction and is escorting me back to Fhirdiad. If you could let us pass and permit our safe return, we may call it even and not bring this up in our negotiations.”

He heard a low, languid laugh from behind the radiant Prime Minister. Another man dismounted swiftly, dressed entirely in black. He bowed shallowly at Prince Dimitri, a gloved hand held to his chest. Dedue noticed a strip of skin peeking out from below his glove--there were purple streaks running down his wrist.

The mysterious man noticed Dedue’s gaze and smiled darkly. 

“If I may, your Highness, I don’t believe you’re in a position to negotiate.”

The man walked forward as Ferdinand took a resigned step back, his amicable smile falling into an expressionless frown.

“Who says so?” Dimitri said warily, immediately feeling the shift in intentions.

“Hubert von Vestra, Minister of the Imperial Household. Let’s look at the facts, Prince Dimitri.” He walked forward without minding the sword still held in Dimitri’s hand and looked at Dedue with a confident smile. “Your...companion here, is indeed a wanted man in the Empire. All throughout Fódlan have surfaced stories of the Ashen Demon, who never leaves any survivors.”

“He is now under the protection of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.”

“Oh, but that is not the only fact.” Hubert said, turning his eyes from Dedue to Dimitri. He reached forward confidently, taking Dimitri’s cape and letting it flow until its tattered and burnt ends were in his hand. “You, Prince, are not exactly known for your mental stability in the Empire.”

“Excuse me?!” Dimitri almost lounged, stopped only by Dedue’s hand on his arm.

“Precisely my point. You are known as a wild man, prone to outbursts of emotion and long periods of reclusion. If I were to say, perhaps…that you were kidnapped in the middle of the night, and in a blind rage you misunderstood your situation and genuinely believed the Ashen Demon, a known ruthless mercenary, was your savior from two of the most beloved figures in the Imperial nobility. If you were to try and expose your case…” He lifted Dimitri’s chin with one gloved finger. “Who would the masses believe? The soggy, slightly charred mad prince of Faerghus? Or the most trusted advisor of Her Majesty the Emperor?” Hubert smiled darkly, letting his hand fall and turning his back to them, signaling something to Ferdinand.

“You...you cannot! We’re negotiating a peace treaty, would you really throw all that progress away and doom us to even more years of war? More loss of innocent lives?”

“You have it all wrong again, prince. Faerghus is negotiating a peace treaty by handing you over.” He removed his gloves slowly and turned to face them. “The Empire is merely preparing to strike.”

With a flick of his tarnished hand, Dedue dropped to the floor beside Dimitri into a deep sleep. The soldiers easily surrounded Dimitri and Ferdinand himself took his sword. 

“From now on, prince Dimitri of Faerghus, you and the Ashen Demon are in our custody. You are to behave as a prince would and be betrothed to me, otherwise the Ashen Demon, who will be imprisoned in the castle dungeons, will be executed. Is this understood?” Ferdinand recited, no emotion in his voice.

Dimitri could only stare in horror as the soldiers tied up Dedue and tossed him into an empty carriage, not unlike how Dimitri had been mere hours before. He nodded in his daze, and followed Ferdinand to the horses. Outside Dimitri’s lowered gaze, Ferdinand spared a glance to Hubert. Hubert shook his head sternly, as his gloves covered his hands once again.

“Prince Dimitri?” Ferdinand called softly, guiding his horse away from Hubert’s earshot. Dimitri didn’t dignify him with an answer. “Alright, I have earned it. I know this whole situation is not at all honorable from our part, but if it helps...I promise you, I will do anything in my power to ensure your companion will live. I cannot promise he’ll be released immediately since he _is_ a wanted man, but I will not let anyone order an execution. Understood?” 

Dimitri raised his head to look at radiant orange hair tied back into a braid and hummed at the genuine tone of his husband-to-be. Ferdinand simply guided his horse closer to the soldiers again, glaring at the approving sorcerer.

The Imperial Castle was a marvel of architecture and history, one Ferdinand was all too happy to ramble about until he noticed Dimitri’s growing annoyance and decided shutting up was the safer option. Dimitri was swiftly hurried to his chambers and immediately locked in with multiple guards watching his door, while Ferdinand was dragged to the throne room by Hubert as soon as he dismounted his horse.

The throne room was, as usual, eerily empty and silent. Decorations and opulent chandeliers glimmered in the scant sunlight that shone through a stained glass window, and right at the end of a worn but impeccable red rug was the Emperor, sternly gazing over her two jewels. 

“Your Majesty.” Hubert kneeled immediately, leaning forward to kiss her hand. Emperor Edelgard smiled calmly. Ferdinand simply bowed deeply, offering her a faint smile. 

“Hubert, Ferdinand. I knew I could trust the both of you to salvage my mission, if Caspar and Linhardt were to fail. I trust the prince is now in his chambers and understands his situation entirely?”

“He is, your Majesty. We ran into quite a few complications along the way, but--”

“Sorry to keep you waiting, your Majesty!” Caspar interrupted, dragging a still lethargic Linhardt across the room to bow before the Emperor. Hubert scowled at the familiarity those two still retained with Edelgard.

“Caspar, Linhardt. I’m glad you managed to return. Ferdinand was about to report some complications in the mission?” She asked calmly. Ferdinand took a step back.

“Oh yeah, we managed to abduct prince Dimitri and take him really close to the Alliance without a problem, but then this really strong mercenary took out Felix and managed to stop us in the road. We were both knocked out and he probably took the prince.” He said sheepishly, Linhardt nodding beside him.

“And after this, Ferdinand?”

Ferdinand cleared his throat. “Well, of course Hubert and I were supervising everything from afar as we were on our way to the meeting point. We watched as Dimitri and this mercenary, who turned out to be the Ashen Demon himself, somehow crossed Ailell on foot. We simply waited on the other side and captured them once they emerged from the Valley of Torment. Hubert had to use magic for the Ashen Demon to be captured.” Edelgard nodded approvingly.

“Hubert, thoughts?”

“Rumours have scattered of Alliance Thieves abducting the prince, and of the Imperial Prime Minister leading and completing his rescue; not to mention we managed to capture the Ashen Demon, who has indeed been quite troublesome to our strategies for quite some time. All in all I believe this mission was a success.” The Emperor smiled, reaching out for Hubert’s hand. Hubert obediently placed his, and Edelgard removed his glove in one swift motion. 

Thick, purple lines ran throughout his hand, from the tips of his entirely purple fingers to his streaked wrists. Hubert hissed in pain as Edelgard traced a particularly deep one.

Linhardt and Caspar’s eyes widened, before they looked at each other discreetly. 

Felix.

“Please make sure not to overuse your magic, Hubert. I worry about you, and I’d hate to lose such a powerful sorcerer.” She said, sliding the glove back into place and letting go of Hubert’s hand. Hubert only nodded. “What do you intend to do with the Ashen Demon?” She turned to Ferdinand.

“Well, I intend to put him on trial for some years of imprisonment and--”

“Execution.” Hubert said without hesitation, fixing the glove around his hand.

“Wh-what? Hubert, surely we can put him in trial first. We don’t even have a way of confirming he’s _the_ Ashen Demon. He certainly doesn’t look old enough to have been terrorizing Fódlan since we were children--”

“He did assault Imperial nobility and abduct the prince of Faerghus, in case you had forgotten.” Hubert said, insufferably calm. Ferdinand only looked at Edelgard for support, to be met with an approving nod.

“What would the masses think if we were to spare a feared mercenary, Ferdinand? We must make an example of those who stand before us. Is that not also why you are to be married to the prince?”

Ferdinand didn’t appreciate the reminder. “It...is, yes. …Lady Edelgard, not to question your judgement in a matter that has already been settled, but--"

“Why are you the one about to marry Prince Dimitri, and not me?” She asked cunningly. Ferdinand nodded. “I have a duty to fulfill, one that must not be disturbed by a marriage and heirs and whatnot. I must walk this path alone, and in marrying the prince of Faerghus to my right hand man instead of to myself, I can make a statement of status to Faerghus as well. Not even their Prince is good enough for our Emperor.”

Ferdinand tilted his head. “I thought Hubert was your right hand man?” 

Edelgard stood up, looking down on them over the steps before the throne. She leaned down, touching Ferdinand’s cheek gently but firmly. “You, Ferdinand, _are_ my right hand man. You are the hand I reach out with, the light to shine over my Empire. Hubert is the darkness that my people must never see, the hand holding a dagger behind my back, ready to strike. You know your roles well. I hope you do not hesitate in performing them.”

Hubert immediately bowed, while Ferdinand merely held a hand to his chest and closed his eyes.

“Never, your Majesty.”

Dimitri didn’t dare himself to think, to breathe too quickly, or tears would start falling. He let the timid seamstress measure him in silence, complied when he was asked to wear a white suit that didn’t fit him right. Of course it didn’t fit him right, this isn’t how his wedding was supposed to be.

The door opened, and confident footsteps echoed in the silent room. “Oh my dearest. You look magnificent. I had to rely on outdated paintings to design a wedding suit for you, but thankfully my taste hasn’t dulled in the slightest.” Ferdinand said in soft awe, smoothing out Dimitri’s lapel and smiling gently at him. The seamstress took her cue and left hurriedly, leaving Ferdinand and Dimitri alone in the room. Dimitri tensed immediately.

“Prince Dimitri...If I may, I’m really sorry to put you in this situation.”

Dimitri glared openly, making Ferdinand take a cautious step back. “You’re sorry, yet you go through with it.”

Ferdinand sighed, helping Dimitri out of his pin-covered coat. “I do not have much of a choice myself, Prince. I’m afraid our situations are more similar than you’d expect.” He carefully folded the garment and set it on the nearby vanity. Dimitri simply watched.

“Do you also have someone else you’d rather be with?” He said. Ferdinand froze in his tracks, hand still caressing the white coat. He thought of a black coat instead, with black gloves, black hair. He thought of tainted but gentle hands, before recoiling as if the wedding garment had burned him.

“Well, that...doesn’t matter anymore, does it? We are to be wed in a few days, and despite the situation, know that I will strive to care for you and be a good husband at all times. Perhaps we could even be friends?”

Dimitri didn’t answer. Ferdinand excused himself from the room without letting the prince see the tears threatening to run down his face.

On the other side of the door, hiding back in the shadows when the radiant prime minister stormed out, Hubert listened. He watched as Ferdinand fled, resisting an urge to reach out to him. Instead, he made his way to the dungeons.

It didn’t take him long to find the Ashen Demon, silver hair flowing down to his shoulders and black outfit tattered and covered in ash. Dedue sat leaning on a wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. He didn’t address Hubert.

“So. You and the prince are more than bodyguard and royal, hmm?” He said slowly, letting out a short laugh when Dedue’s eyes shot open. “I heard him talking to von Aegir. The Prince loves a wanted mercenary, and the prime minister loves...someone else, as well. Such a tragedy, isn’t it.” His voice grew bitter by the end, so bitter that Dedue frowned.

“You and...the prime minister--”

“Are mere tools at Her Majesty’s disposal, and nothing more.” He raised his voice. “And so is your prince. You will be but an example to the masses when I’m done with you.” He turned back, ready to leave, when Dedue dared speak.

“Dimitri still needs me, so I will not die yet. Only a coward would not dare fight for the one they love.”

Deathly silence enveloped the room, Hubert frozen to the spot at the true intention of the mercenary’s words. When Dedue thought Hubert would leave, the sorcerer turned around and ripped his gloves off, letting sparkling dark magic dance on his fingers.

“Since you don’t want to die yet, maybe you can be of use still. A little spell practice, perhaps?”

On the other side of the castle, on a small hill in the gardens, Caspar paced before a snoozing Linhardt.

“Caspar, your pacing won’t let me sleep. What’s going on?” Linhardt groaned from his place leaning against a tree. Caspar simply kept on pacing.

“Lin...you saw Hubert’s hands. He’s…”

“The guy who orchestrated Felix’s brother’s death, yes. Why does it matter to us? We work with Hubert, for all we know we were part of it.”

“What?! No, of course we weren’t! Look, I know we’re technically on opposite sides, but sword guy--”

“Felix. I literally just said his name--”

“--Whatever! Finding Hubert to him is...really important. If someone killed me, wouldn’t you chase them all the way to the end for revenge?” Caspar looked at him softly.

Linhardt wasn’t the revenge type. At all. But he conceded to Caspar and sighed. “Alright, but if you’re suggesting throwing an expert swordsman at Edelgard’s closest confidant, that’s...very much treason.” 

Caspar groaned and plopped himself next to Linhardt. “I know! And of course I don’t want to get Hubert killed, it’s just...well, don’t you feel like we’re on the wrong side of things?” Linhardt raised an eyebrow at his musings. “I mean, first there’s sword guy of course, but then there’s the prince and the strong mercenary. Ferdinand said there was more to them that meets the eye, do you think they’re…”

“In love? Yes, most likely. Ferdinand did look like a kicked puppy while telling us the rest of the story.”

“And that’s the other thing! Why does Ferdinand have to marry him? He’s chaining himself to a lifetime of being married to a guy who hates his guts just because Edelgard said so? And since when is Edelgard so uncaring of her friends’ feelings anyways?” His voice grew louder by the second. Linhardt just rolled his eyes and held his hand to shut him up.

“She has a vision, and she would do anything to accomplish it. If that means using us as pawns, well, she’s clearly not bothered by it.” Linhardt shrugged. Caspar frowned.

“Well...don’t you think there might be another way? Maybe something Edelgard isn’t seeing?” 

Linhardt was about to brush him off, when something came to mind. He stood up suddenly, Caspar staring in surprise, and briskly dragged the knight to the stables. 

“Come on Caspar, keep up. There’s a sword guy we need to warn, right?”

Caspar hadn’t ever smiled so much at the thought of committing treason.

It didn’t take them long to find Felix; all they had to do was peek into the castle training grounds, where the mercenary was currently beating a couple palace guards into the ground. Felix noticed them and smoothly disarmed his opponent with a flick of his sword, as if he’d been holding back the entire fight.

“You two, what do you want? I thought I told you to only talk to me if you had a job, I’m not here to make friends or whatever.” Caspar almost interjected, but Linhardt raised a hand. 

“We do have a job for you, actually. Mind if we discuss this somewhere more private?” 

Half an hour, some sweet buns--that Felix rejected--and a short trip to Linhardt’s favorite tree later, Felix finally stomped down his foot and crossed his arms. “That’s enough. You’ve dragged me all around the castle and still no word on this new job. Out with it, what do you want?” Linhardt calmly settled down against the trunk, motioning for Felix to sit too. Caspar sat suspiciously to his side, blocking the clear path to the exit. Felix tensed.

“We know who orchestrated your brother’s death.” Linhardt said simply. Felix lunged at him immediately, grabbing him by the coat and almost lifting him off the ground. Linhardt only looked on calmly.

“Who was it?! Tell me!” He hissed at the mage. Caspar pulled him back, and Linhardt cleared his throat.

“That will be your payment. We need you to do something for us first.” Felix was about to lounge, but Caspar’s hands on his shoulders stopped him firmly. Felix groaned and slumped in his place.

“Alright, what do you want? Do I have to kill someone?” He glared. Linhardt sighed and pulled out a map of the castle. “Wait...the castle?”

“You remember the mercenary who was chasing us when we abducted Prince Dimitri?” Felix frowned, nodding silently. “We have reasons to believe he wasn’t who he said he was.”

“Who did he say he was?” Felix whispered to Caspar, who leaned forward to whisper back “the Ashen Demon.” The mercenary nodded in recognition, before frowning. “No he wasn’t.”

“Yes Felix, that’s what I’m getting at. For starters--”

“For starters we’re alive? The Ashen Demon never leaves any survivors, he’s a ruthless mercenary who gets any job done no matter what. He couldn’t have been the man I fought.”

“Exactly. He was unexpectedly polite and honorable too, a ruthless mercenary wouldn’t have let me heal Caspar after they fought, or wouldn’t have used a non-lethal poison in our battle of wits.” Both Caspar and Felix frowned at that, but Linhardt went on. “He was too nice to have been the true Ashen Demon.”

“I agree. He was very skilled too, I look forward to crossing blades with him again.” Felix smiled slightly, almost dreamily. Linhardt lifted his eyebrows bemusedly. 

“O...kay, well, that’s as good a reason as any to help him.”

“Help him? With what?”

“Well, he’s imprisoned. Shortly after he defeated us and rescued Prince Dimitri he was captured by Ferdinand and imprisoned in the castle dungeons by Hubert.” Caspar tried not to grimace at the thought. “Ferdinand wants to do a trial, but Hubert wants to execute him right away.” Felix stood up in a flash.

“What?! He can’t do that! Lead the way, we’ll get him out.” He looked around, as if he could find the dungeons and Hubert in plain sight. Caspar smiled excitedly, while Linhardt sighed. 

“Slow down, you two. Yes, we’ll break him out, but here’s the rest of the plan…”

To Felix, Linhardt’s plan was naive and optimistic at best. On the other hand, he really wanted a rematch with stupid mask guy, and he felt bad for that wild boar of a prince getting married to the prime minister of Adrestia, of all the annoying people in the world.

He leaned back against the wall, peeking around the corner for the telltale sound of Caspar distracting the guards with an arm wrestling challenge. Felix felt like banging his head against the dungeon walls when that actually worked. He ran past, followed perfectly the instructions Linhardt had given him before they went in, turned a corner, went down stairs, turned another corner…

“Linhardt, do you mind? I’m clearly busy here.” He heard an annoyed voice. Felix immediately pushed himself back against the wall, thankfully unseen by the man right in front of stupid mask guy’s cell.

“Oh believe me, this might look like pure intellectual curiosity, but Edelgard actually ordered me to try and expand my magical knowledge. What better way to do so than ask you?”

“I...will not argue with that, I was the one who suggested it to Her Majesty. But does it have to be right now?” That annoyed, raspy voice immediately unsettled Felix. Linhardt sighed.

“Yes, it does. Do you have any idea how much work Ferdinand and Edelgard keep piling up on me? I barely have a second to rest around here.”

“Oh, you have more than enough--”

“Hush. I have to meet with Caspar to discuss magical training for our new recruits in half an hour, walk with me and tell me how you did that spell along the way.”

“Linhardt--”

“Would you really disobey Edelgard’s orders? She won’t be pleased to know you refused to help me in this. After all, how often do I actually express interest in making an effort?” 

A few seconds passed in silence, in which Felix didn’t see the multiple constipated expressions flash through Hubert’s face. Finally, he sighed. “You had better not disappoint Her Majesty.”

“When do I ever, _Hubie_?”

Felix rolled his eyes with a slight but very amused smile, waiting until their footsteps disappeared to peek out the corner and run to the cell. There he saw stupid mask guy, without the mask or bandana this time. He was about to snarkily call him by a new nickname, when he noticed the man wasn’t moving. He only lied down on the floor of the cell, his face on the cold stone.

“Hey. Hey, mercenary. Are you alive?” He said, poking him with the hilt of his sword. He heard a groan, but still he didn’t move. “Oh good. Are you fully conscious? Groan once for yes.” Another groan. “Good. You’re getting out of there.” Felix said finally. He wanted desperately to break the lock with a precise strike of his sword, but the key currently in his pocket made the action quite useless. He opened the cell, but the man still didn’t move. “The heck is up with you?”

He heard groans. “What?”

“Turn me around.” He barely made out. He turned the mercenary around with his foot, and the man gasped deeply, as if he had been in that same position for hours. “Thank you. You are...the mercenary from Faerghus, working with the imperial soldiers.” He said with a frown, still not moving a muscle. 

“Yeah, I’m breaking you out of here now. Those guys too. Come on, up! Who knows when the slithery guy will get back.” Felix said, peeking out of the cell as if Hubert could appear any second.

“I can’t.”

“What?!”

“I was cursed, I can’t move at all.”

“Are you kidding--you’re twice my size, there’s absolutely no way I can carry you.” Felix glared at him. Dedue looked at the ceiling for a second, before doing his best to shrug. 

“Drag me out.”

“Oh, like _that_ won’t look suspicious--”

“Felix, what’s wrong? I saw Lin heading out with Hubert already.” Caspar jogged down the stairs, looking confusedly between the two mercenaries. 

“Hello, Caspar.” The Ashen Demon said casually, as if he wasn’t lying cursed on the deepest floor of the imperial dungeon.

“Hey, strong mercenary guy! Why aren’t you moving?” Felix, once again, felt like banging his head on the dungeon walls. Footsteps echoed from the top of the stairs.

“He’s cursed, can’t move, we have to carry him. Now.” Felix rushed out, throwing one of the Ashen Demon’s arms over his shoulders as Caspar did the same. They ran as quickly as they could to the opposite stairs, where Linhardt saw them and urgently rushed down again to cast a sleep spell on Hubert. They ducked past the guards, Caspar distracting most of them, and finally tossed the mercenary--Dedue, over the hay in the stables. Dedue sighed in relief.

“Well, we got Dedue. What goes next?” Felix turned to Caspar. Caspar nodded. 

“First we wait for Linhardt to break his curse, then all of us break into the castle and get the Prince!” Caspar smiled brightly.

Dedue and Felix shared a look. “There’s…a more detailed version of that plan, right?” Felix asked, already knowing the answer.

“Nope! Glad to see you’re alright though, Dedue.” Dedue smiled slightly and nodded, craning his neck to look at them. 

“Thank you for rescuing me, I’m afraid I had no plan for getting out by myself after the sorcerer’s curse. Though, if you don’t mind, why are you helping me?” Caspar smiled much more gently this time.

“Well, you love the prince, don’t you?” Dedue nodded, no doubt on his mind. “And believe it or not, the prime minister who’s gonna marry him tomorrow loves Hubert, the gloomy sorcerer who cursed you. Not to mention this war has gone on for too long, Lin misses being able to rest.” Dedue smiled gently. Caspar suddenly remembered something and perked up. “Oh, right! You helped us break Dedue out, you can know now. The man who killed your brother is--”

“Stop.” Felix lifted a hand.

“What?” 

The mercenary looked away. “I...want to help too. If you tell me, I can’t promise I won’t go kill him immediately and leave you to fend for yourselves. Tell me after this guy and the boar prince are free to go.” Felix forced out, looking like saying this was physically hurting him. Caspar was about to thank him enthusiastically when Linhardt finally appeared, rushing to the stables.

“I...will never run so much again…” He panted out, before noticing Dedue and kneeling by his side. 

“Hello, smart mage.” Dedue greeted him with a nod. Linhardt rolled his eyes.

“Yes, yes, hello mercenary. I know what Hubert did to you now.” Dedue signaled with his head to continue speaking. “It’s a curse, yes. An experimental curse to block nerve signals. Quite fascinating, actually!” Felix glared. “If...not for the situation at hand, of course. I will break the curse now, try not to scream.” Linhardt placed a hand on the nape of his neck, chanted silently for a second, and suddenly it was as if Dedue’s entire body was on fire. He bit back a scream, panting heavily as the pain subsided. Everyone stepped back expectantly, to see Dedue lift his upper chest and promptly fall back down.

“I...need time.”

The castle alarm bells started ringing, Hubert had woken up already. “We don’t have any, we’ll just have to carry you. Mind helping us plan?”

By the time they were done discussing their course of action, they suddenly heard a very different kind of bell ringing.

“Those…” Caspar’s eyes widened. “Those are wedding bells.” 

All four mentally panicked for a second. “Edelgard must have ordered to rush the wedding when she noticed Dedue was missing. Come on, we need to hurry.” Linhardt urged, leading the way as Felix and Caspar carried a still quite limp Dedue. Many soldiers were on sight, but the four kept to the shadows and managed to avoid them until they reached the castle’s main doors.

“They’re guarding every other door, and guests are coming in for the wedding through this one. What do we do?” Caspar frowned at Linhardt. Linhardt looked around, spotting a particularly prim-looking aristocrat who was still finishing his makeup and fixing his many accessories nearby. “Felix--"

The mercenary grabbed his sheathed sword and hopped out of the bush. “On it.”

Linhardt was proud to say his momentary obsession with makeup and fashion and Dorothea’s lessons had worked wonders. With Caspar’s help, he’d managed to dress up both Felix and Dedue enough so that they didn’t look like they spent an afternoon in the training grounds and in the dungeons, respectively. He casted a quick spell for Dedue to mimic his every move, and they walked out of the bushes. He crossed his hands behind his back, Dedue following like a mirror, and walked through the bridge, easily mingling amongst the imperial nobility Edelgard intended to abolish soon. Everything went swimmingly, right up until Dorothea herself walked up to them. 

“Well, look at you, Linny! I never expected to see you actually dress up for anything. Or, well...at least wear some makeup, I guess.” The closer Dorothea looked, the sloppier and more rushed Lin’s makeup looked and the more her face fell. “...Well...it counts? It is Ferdinand’s wedding, after all.” 

Linhardt tried not to let his panic show. They only had five minutes before Dedue’s spell wore off and he tumbled to the ground face-first in front of every dull aristocrat in the land, and here was Dorothea reading right through him as per usual.

“Linny, who are these men? Besides Caspar, of course.” She waved elegantly, getting a very tense wave back from Caspar. Linhardt sighed, leaning forward to whisper in Dorothea’s ear. Dedue leaned forward as well, making Felix and Caspar try to cover him up somehow.

“Look Thea, I have...secret orders right now. Don’t tell anyone you saw us here, please?” 

“Secret--Linny, there’s a fugitive out right now. Hubie told me to report absolutely anything out of place. Besides, he’s in charge of all these ‘secret missions’, he should be well aware of it, right?” She hissed back. Linhardt rubbed his temple tiredly, and this time Dorothea noticed the eerily similar movement from the tall mercenary beside them.

“Wait...Linny, what’s--” With a very rushed chant and a touch to Dorothea’s arm, she suddenly stopped, before blinking confusedly. “Oh...hi Lin! I’m sorry, I guess all this wedding rush is making me tired.”

“That’s all right, Thea. I’m in a bit of a rush, mind if we catch up later?” Linhardt tried to keep the urgency from his voice. Dorothea held her head and didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah, of course. See you at the wedding.” She said, tumbling forward to lean against the doorframe. They rushed inside, lost themselves in the maze of hallways inside the castle, right on time for Dedue to slump forward and get caught by Caspar and Felix, when no nosey aristocrats were around. They pressed against a wall to rest for a second and looked around, before Linhardt started thinking.

“Alright, Dimitri is probably getting ready for the wedding in the honeymoon suite. Thankfully Ferdinand and Edelgard must already be in the grand hall greeting guests, and Hubert is probably still looking around the castle. We just have to get--”

“To where the prince currently isn’t, hmm?” The dark voice behind them was unmistakable. Felix drew his sword in a second, stepping between them and Hubert without hesitation. Hubert raised an eyebrow. “I hired you, didn’t I? The best swordsman in all the land.” He said, looking behind him. “And you. Do you have any idea what I do to those who dare betray Her Majesty? You’ll beg for mercy within seconds.”

Caspar looked at Hubert with a clearly broken heart, but Linhardt merely shook his head. “We’re trying to help you too, if you must know. Let us go, and we’ll explain everything.” 

“Linhardt...you must think me a far less loyal man if you think I would.” He said, openly glaring at the mage. Linhardt sighed, steeling himself, before looking at Felix.

“Go, I’ll deal with him.” Felix said, not even looking back. 

“Thank you, Felix. Hubert is...He’s the man you’re looking for.” Linhardt said, voice steady and hands trembling. Felix stiffened.

“...Is he, now.” He got into a fighting stance, raising his sword properly. “All the better. Now get out of here and find the boar prince, understood?” Linhardt didn’t have to be asked twice and rushed out, Caspar following while doing his best to drag Dedue along. Dedue looked back. “Good luck, mercenary.”

Felix smirked. “Save it for yourself, I don’t need it.”

As soon as the three rushed out, Hubert tried to follow. Felix raised his sword confidently and set it against Hubert’s throat. “Don’t you dare. Your opponent is me.” He said evenly. Hubert stepped back, frowning at the swordsman. 

“Why are you looking for me? Speak.” Felix stepped forward, his sword still raised, until they were properly in the center of a long lounge. He ripped a sword off the wall rack and threw it at Hubert, who barely caught it. Felix breathed in deeply, and spoke.

“I am Felix Hugo Fraldarius.” He raised his sword, his stance perfect and stable. “You killed my brother.” Hubert raised his sword as well, gaze confused. “Prepare to _die_!” 

Linhardt and Caspar rushed through the hallways, before Linhardt stopped. “Lin? What is it?” The wedding march started, both imperial ministers and the mercenary paling in seconds. Linhardt turned around and gripped Caspar’s shoulder.

“Caspar, take Dedue to the honeymoon suite. I’ll go try to stop the wedding.” He said, turning around before Caspar’s hand on his wrist stopped him. 

“...Be careful, okay?” He said quietly. Linhardt smiled at him gently, before nodding.

“When am I not, Cas?” With that, he ran away. Caspar turned to Dedue and kept carrying him through the floor, feeling as Dedue’s arms finally gripped back and his hand steadied them on the palace wall. They went on for a few minutes, before Caspar heard a familiar voice.

“Stop! Stop, I need to warn the Emperor! We cannot go through with this wedding!” Linhardt yelled. Caspar immediately panicked. 

“Linhardt! I--I can’t--”

“Go!” Dedue ordered. Caspar nodded firmly, and rested Dedue against a wall before rushing away to the direction of Linhardt’s voice.

In the grand hall, Linhardt’s scream had echoed as well. Edelgard frowned at the commotion, just in time for the prince of Faerghus to appear at the end of the hall. His white suit was beautiful, barely finished in time, sparkling gently against the chandelier light. His cape was a deep blue, a contrast to Ferdinand’s red. The union, although false and forced, of two nations. Dimitri walked with his head low, and soon reached Ferdinand’s side under Edelgard’s gaze. Ferdinand stretched out his hand, firm but almost solemn, and Dimitri took it with resignation. Both men looked brokenhearted at best, but steady to all the aristocrats’ eyes. Edelgard stepped forward, keeping an eye on her guards for any signal, before speaking.

“We all know this wedding, although rushed due to present circumstances, has been long overdue. With this union, I will join the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus to the might of the Adrestian Empire!” The hall cheered, Dimitri doing his best to bite back tears. Ferdinand tightened his hand around his, and Dimitri noticed the subtle tears in his eyes too. “I now declare you married, on my authority. Let your marriage carry us into a new era!”

“What?!” Flayn sat up, throwing her covers back and immediately shivering in the cold. Seteth sighed, tucking her back in before huffing amusedly. “Father, don’t laugh! This wasn’t supposed to happen! Dedue was supposed to miraculously recover and go all ‘I object!’ or--”

Seteth laughed brightly, patting the top of his daughter’s head as she complained. “You missed a small detail, dearest. The wedding didn’t go through, not really.”

Flayn’s eyes widened. “What? But...Emperor Edelgard declared them married and everything. What detail could I have possibly missed?” Seteth smiled at her and turned back to the story.

“You’ll see, my dear. Not all hope is lost yet.”

Linhardt and Caspar gripped each other’s hand, frowning defeated from a balcony overlooking the grand hall. The party started, one where the foreign groom was quickly ushered away to be locked in a room and heavily guarded.

“No...no, this can’t be the end of it! We can still do it, we just need to get Dimitri and Dedue out of here and--”

“--And then we get executed for treason?” Linhardt finished with a shrug, walking briskly beside Caspar anyways. Caspar looked away with a frown.

“No! No, we...we could run too? Imagine, we could live in a small town away from the empire, maybe travel around, no responsibilities and no wars! We could even...huh?” Caspar stopped, staring at the wall. He looked around frantically, even looking behind a nearby potted plant.

“Caspar, what exactly are you doing?”

“He was here! I promise, I only looked away for a second to help you and--”

Linhardt pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let me get this straight. You _lost_ a nearly seven-foot-tall intimidating wanted mercenary who can barely move?” 

“He could move his arms! Maybe he crawled away somewhere or--” Linhardt sighed, before hearing some palace guards nearby and throwing himself and Caspar into the nearest room.

“So, you say I killed your brother?” Hubert said calmly, blocking a very strong blow from the swordsman. “Loathe as I am to admit, I really don’t remember. Your name does stir my memory, though.” Felix swinged again, nearly knocking Hubert down with the sheer strength of his blow. 

“Fraldarius. Like Duke Rodrigue Fraldarius. You killed his son Glenn to make an example of those who would dare oppose the empire.” He said, thrusting his sword. Hubert barely dodged out of the way. 

“Oh yes, I remember now. One of the first assassinations I orchestrated. Perhaps I should have ordered for the youngest son to be killed instead. I can’t imagine a mere blacksmith could have been as troublesome as you are.” Felix stepped back, silent in his rage, before launching into another storm of blows.

Dimitri couldn’t hear anything through the rush in his head, the wave of words and sounds and so many feelings that barely let him be pushed around to the honeymoon suite. He registered the door click behind him in the back of his mind, his weak legs only able to carry him to the suite’s tall window. He looked at the glass, touched it softly, considered how hard it could be to climb down the tower and find the dungeons at all cost--

“I have seen you fall from lower trees, my love. I advise you to consider using the door.” A low, beautiful, dreamlike voice called from behind Dimitri. He gasped, turning back to the bed to see his soulmate lying on it, smiling so gently. He rushed to his side but hesitated to touch, as if he could fade away as a mere illusion.

“I’m here for you, Dimitri. This is no dream” Dedue lifted a trembling hand, just enough to cup Dimitri’s cheek. Dimitri leaned into the touch, before his eye welled with tears.

“Dedue, my love, I...I’m sorry. The wedding was rushed, I--”

“If my understanding is correct…”

“Yes?” Dimitri didn’t dare hope. Dedue tilted his head, resting his forehead against Dimitri’s. 

“I did not hear you say I do” He said, brushing back Dimitri’s soft hair and caressing over the string of his eyepatch. Dimitri couldn’t stand it anymore, he dropped himself onto Dedue’s chest and held him tight, Dedue’s arms soon shakily wrapping around his prince. 

“Please, Dedue. Let’s go home.” He whispered against his chest. Dedue smiled, kissing Dimitri’s golden hair. This time, Dedue knew nothing could make him leave Dimitri. Not ever again.

“As you--”

A key rustled on the lock and soon the door snapped open. “Prince Dimitri! Forgive me, I did not approve for you to be locked in here but--” As soon as Ferdinand saw the mercenary on the bed, he unsheathed his sword. But he didn’t have the heart to wield it. “Dedue...I don’t want to harm you, either of you.” Dimitri stood up protectively in a second, standing to his full height before Ferdinand. 

“Then help us, Ferdinand. You know this isn’t right.” Ferdinand lifted his sword half-heartedly, taking a step back. Dimitri stepped forward confidently.

“I...I know, but I can’t betray the empire, I can’t--”

“Betray Hubert.” Dedue finished from the bed. Ferdinand frowned and sighed, looking away.

“Please Ferdinand, I know you’re a good man. Let us go.” Dimitri rested his hand on Ferdinand’s shoulder. Ferdinand looked at it puzzled. “This war must be stopped, Ferdinand. Once it is, you will never be just a pawn anymore. You and Hubert could be together, as Dedue and I will be.” He said so gently, watching as Ferdinand’s gaze grew more pained each second.

Ferdinand couldn’t let himself imagine how that would be. No more twisted, dishonorable plots. No more stabbing old friends in the back, no more losing the people he loved for the sake of a vision. No more holding back. No more marrying a foreign prince instead of the man he loved. If the war ended, he could tell Hubert…

But dreams weren't for him, not for the Emperor's right hand. He had chosen this path, and now he would walk it. If not for himself, for Hubert.

He took a step back, all but ripping himself from Dimitri’s hand. “Forgive me, Prince Dimitri. I can’t. I am loyal to her Majesty the Emperor.” Dimitri frowned, stepping forward and cornering the Prime Minister. Ferdinand stepped back, but raised his sword again. “Come now, Dimitri. You cannot go free, but Dedue still can. Duel me for Dedue’s freedom! If you win he can go, if not--”

Just then, a head of green hair casually peeked through the door. Linhardt looked around the room and frowned. “Huh, did I miss anything?” 

“Hello, Linhardt.” Dedue said from the bed. Dimitri was about to lunge for him when Linhardt calmly raised a hand to stop him. 

“Hey Dedue. Don’t attack me, prince, I’m on your side. And you.” He turned to Ferdinand, who was still pointing his sword at Dimitri rather awkwardly. “I just thought you’d like to know, remember the sword guy you recommended for Hubert to hire?” 

“Yes? He is the best swordsman in all the land, never bested and peerless with the sword.” Ferdinand recited easily. Dedue simply laughed to himself quietly, knowing with an indulgent rush of pride that Felix wasn’t exactly “never bested”. Linhardt shrugged, calmly inspecting his nails.

“Yeah, that one. Turns out Hubert killed his brother so they’re dueling to the death in the lounge right now. Anyways, that’s--” Before Linhardt could even finish speaking, the very pale Prime Minister of Adrestia had already dashed out the door. Linhardt smiled and looked at the pair still in the room.

“What are you two waiting for? We have a duel to watch.”

By the time they had helped a now limping Dedue to the lounge where the fight was happening, a small crowd had already amassed. No guard dared stop Felix’ rage, and none of them wished to help Hubert either. Ferdinand stood in the sidelines, his sword now sheathed but gripped tightly.

“Please, stop this at once! We can negotiate, there is no need to--”

“Shut up! There was no need to kill my brother either, was there?” Felix barked back, kicking Hubert’s ribs with enough force to slam him against a cabinet. He noticed Dimitri and Dedue watching and smirked. Time for the difficult part of the plan. He walked up to Hubert and disarmed him almost without effort, lifting his sword to his neck. “You will now pay for what you did. Any last words?”

“What I did, I did it for Her Majesty’s vision. I have no regrets.” Hubert said firmly, looking Felix in the eye. Felix laughed darkly.

“Now look where that vision took you. Prepare to--”

“Stop!” Ferdinand shouted, running forward to block Felix’ sword with his. He stood between Hubert and the mercenary protectively, gaze steely and sword firm. Felix rolled his eyes.

“Took you long enough.” He growled under his breath. “Move aside, rich kid. My grudge is with him.” He said, lifting his sword to Ferdinand’s chest. Ferdinand stood his ground ignoring the nickname entirely, to Felix’s disappointment.

“No, I will not. Take my life for his.” 

“What?” Felix grimaced.

“ _What?!_ ” Hubert snapped forward, pulling Ferdinand back. “What do you think you’re doing?!” Ferdinand only spared him a glance, before turning back to Felix.

“Protecting the man I love.” Hubert’s eyes widened. He could only stare as Ferdinand stepped forward, even Felix stepping back so he wouldn’t accidentally stab Ferdinand. “So? Will you take my life instead of his, mercenary?” He asked, no hesitation in his voice. Felix looked at him as if he’d grown two heads.

“What? No, I can’t kill you. Move, I have stabbing to do.” He signaled _coincidentally_ at Dimitri and Dedue with his sword as he said this. Ferdinand followed it and his eyes brightened for a second, before he looked back at Hubert.

“Ferdinand, whatever it is you’re thinking--”

“Prince Dimitri and his lover’s freedom for Hubert’s life.” He said, his eyes never straying from Hubert’s. Hubert shook his head frantically.

“Ferdinand, stop! This is Her Majesty’s plan, I’m not worth--”

“You are to me.” Ferdinand smiled gently. Hubert suddenly couldn’t speak. “We’ll work it out with her, perhaps...there is a path she has not considered. Prince Dimitri, when you are in the throne, could you find it in your heart to help us make a compromise?” Dimitri, who was as of yet still unaware of Edelgard’s “vision” but sympathized with Ferdinand enough--and desperately wanted to get out of Adrestia and finally end this war--, nodded with a smile. Ferdinand smiled back. He turned to Felix, but the mercenary still scowled.

“Not good enough.” 

Ferdinand scrambled to regain his composure. “What?! But--” Felix almost laughed, but continued to scowl. He gestured at Caspar and Linhardt. “Oh…I...I promise, if you spare Hubert, there shall be no consequences to their actions. A-and yours, of course.” Felix pretended to consider the terms if only to see Ferdinand squirm, before nodding and stepping back.

“You had better take care of him, snake. He’s way out of your league.” Felix glared at Hubert. Hubert still stood speechless, but nodded. Felix disarmed Ferdinand for showing off’s sake, before sheathing his sword and moving back to stand with Linhardt and Caspar.

“Ferdinand.” Dimitri said simply. Ferdinand jumped slightly, before relaxing at the sight of the prince’s genuine smile. Dimitri walked forward, taking off his ring and giving it back to the noble. “May the next time we both marry be with our true loves, in a new era of peace.” Ferdinand’s hand closed around the ring, and he nodded. He took a step back to bow deeply at the waist.

“Thank you for your kindness and patience, Prince Dimitri. May you have a pleasant ride back to Faerghus.” Dimitri smiled at him, before turning to glare at Hubert. Hubert nodded wordlessly. Ferdinand stood back up and Dimitri shook his hand.

“Write to me as soon as possible with the Emperor’s response to this situation, please. I suppose we’ll see each other soon to negotiate.” He said firmly. Ferdinand smiled.

“Until then, Prince!”

As soon as they were all at the stables, Caspar and Linhardt realized they really hadn’t thought things through.

“Dorothea is gonna kill us, isn’t she.” Caspar simply said while leaning his head on a stable wall. Linhardt sighed and crossed his arms.

“Don’t complain, we’re lucky Hubert didn’t.” Linhardt yawned, fastening several bags to his horse with closed eyes. Dimitri mounted easily beside them, Dedue soon following.

“So, where are you three headed to after this?” Dedue asked, watching as Felix fiddled with his belongings.

Caspar and Linhardt looked at each other, almost having a conversation without words, before shrugging. “Mind if we tag along to Faerghus? Dedue can totally protect you on his own--” Felix scoffed from behind. “--but some extra bodyguards for the Prince wouldn’t hurt, right? Lin and I can figure out where to go from there!” Caspar said excitedly. Linhardt looked hurt. “What? I thought you were fine with it!”

Linhardt only yawned with a grimace and mounted his horse. “Yeah, it’s alright. I just thought I’d get a nap before riding _all_ _the way_ to Faerghus…”

Felix finally mounted his horse and double-checked his sword was fastened to his belt properly. Dedue turned to him. “And you, mercenary? Since your revenge has been fulfilled, where will you go?” Felix looked at him for a second, thinking, before shrugging. “I’m a mercenary still, no need to change that. I wouldn’t mind if you two hired me for the way back to Faergus though, since I just tried to kill my last major client and all.” Dimitri nodded with a laugh. Dedue thought for a second, before smiling.

“I am...about to become king consort, I believe?” Dimitri smiled so lovingly Dedue was almost shaken out of his thoughts. “And as such, I will no longer need this.” He reached into his pocket and took out his mask, handing it over to Felix. Felix could tell this mask was old, stitched together many times with strings of different ages. Felix frowned at it. “Felix, I now name you the new Ashen Demon. Honor the title, and pass it down when you are ready.”

Felix brightened up so much Dedue was almost sure he was going to smile. Almost. Felix simply settled for gaping at the mask and Dedue, before awkwardly reaching out to hug him for a fraction of a second. He immediately spurred on his horse and rushed away.

“Come on! We have a long way to Faerghus, don’t slow me down!” Felix called from there. Caspar and Linhardt rode leisurely together, as did Dimitri and Dedue. 

“So.” Edelgard looked down at Ferdinand and Hubert who kneeled before her, noticing the distinct lack of green and blue beside them. “In one day, I lost the prince of Faerghus, two of my closest allies and quite possibly the war, because Hubert killed the wrong person years ago and Ferdinand wouldn’t let a mercenary kill him in revenge.” She summarized coldly. Both jewels of the empire cringed before her, but nodded.

“That…is the gist of it, Your Majesty.”

“Look at me.”

Both raised their heads, looking up at the Emperor of Adrestia. She smiled, if only a little wistful.

“I’m aware this will have severe consequences on my vision, but...Ferdinand.” Ferdinand gulped, but Edelgard’s gaze was gentle. “Thank you. If it had been me, I doubt I would have been strong enough for the decision you made. Thank you, genuinely, for protecting Hubert. You went against your role, but you did it to protect...the man you love, yes?”

Ferdinand bit his lip, but nodded.

“Hubert? Am I correct in understanding that Ferdinand’s feelings are corresponded?”

Ferdinand sneaked a shocked glance at Hubert, only to meet conflicted green eyes looking back. There was a question in the air, a wish, a dream. It felt like an eternity, but Hubert finally smiled. The smile was gone in a second, but Ferdinand’s lingered. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Edelgard, despite all of Ferdinand’s fears, smiled. “These are _not_ the circumstances I intended for this, but despite all...I’m glad you two will have a chance to be together now.” Ferdinand’s face brightened impossibly. “Ferdinand, you must forgive me for making you go along with the wedding. I...have neglected my friendships in favor of my vision. I see this now.” She gestured at the empty spot where Linhardt and Caspar would be. “I do not wish to lose any more friends. Not allies, not assets. Friends.” She stretched out her hands, both Ferdinand and Hubert taking them. “We might have lost this battle, and...maybe even the war, but I need not be alone to achieve my vision. You two and Prince Dimitri have taught me that.” She smiled, tightening her hold on their hands. “Will you stay beside me in peace, as you did in war?”

Ferdinand smiled, as Hubert leaned down to kiss her hand. 

“Always, Edelgard.”

Peace arrived swiftly after Prince Dimitri returned to his home in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus with his true love Dedue by his side. As soon as they reached Fhirdiad, a letter bearing the Imperial seal already awaited them, containing Emperor Edelgard’s official apology for all that they had gone through, and a request for both nations to now unite--without any weddings involved this time--in peace. 

Dimitri did not hesitate on attending a ceremony in the Imperial Castle to sign the peace treaty alongside Edelgard, now greeting these once cursed halls with gratefulness. Not even a year later Prince Dimitri became King, and Dedue himself as well. The wedding was a joyous occasion attended by nobility from both allied nations alike, even attended by two old friends and allegedly by a fearsome, merciless mercenary. When together at the altar, Dimitri took Dedue’s hands and repeated their promise once again.

“Will you stay with me forever, my love?” And Dedue could only smile, and say:

“As you wish.”

And Dimitri knew, more than ever. Whenever he said “as you wish”, he really meant to say “I love you.”

Seteth looked up from the story with a smile, finding there his daughter’s entranced eyes. He laughed gently, reaching out to brush away her fringe. “Did you enjoy the story, dear? I am willing to bet you didn’t expect King Dimitri’s story to be quite so romantic.”

Flayn giggled to herself, reaching forward to hug her father tight.

“Thank you for reading it to me, Father. It was wonderful! You must tell me what became of the Prime Minister and the Ashen Demon and...” She yawned over his shoulder, making her father laugh. “Well, perhaps another time. For now, can I please go to sleep? I am still feverish, if you hadn’t forgotten.” She said playfully, settling back against her pillows. 

Seteth smiled, tucking his daughter back into the covers and kissing her hair.

“As you wish.”


End file.
